05/22/2026
“Barney was candid, outspoken, quick-witted and downright funny, and he always had his eye on making progress. He was willing to take on anyone who was in his way, regardless of who they were – I should know, I was one of the many who on occasion got an earful from him. But I, and anyone else who spent time with him, were lucky to watch him in action and learn from him. Barney was a masterful legislator, savvy and strategic, and always thinking of the long game. Earning Barney’s praise when we passed the Respect for Marriage Act is something that I will forever cherish. Barney could have a prickly exterior, but I also recall him revealing a much more vulnerable side of himself as he recounted what it was like to live in the closet, before he came out in 1987. Barney was a giant whose shoulders the movement for LGBTQ rights stands on. Our country is a better, more just, more equal place because of him, and he will be sorely missed.” —Senator Tammy Baldwin
